She also discussed a variety of articles specifically referring to the Harry Potter books, including a Daily Express piece that claimed Rowling had based the "unpleasant character" of Gilderoy Lockhart - played in the Harry Potter films by Kenneth Branagh - on her ex-husband.

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She had told the Edinburgh book festival that the character was actually based on someone she used to live with, whom she claimed would probably not remember the situation.

Rowling hit out at the paper for portraying her as the "kind of vindictive person" who would use a bestselling book to get back at someone. She also described the difficult moment when she had to sit down with her eldest daughter and explain the situation.

"It was a horrible conversation to have to have...and of course, there's what happens when other children tell my daughter that her father was the basis for this unpleasant character. And that can't be recalled," she said.

Rowling added: "That misinformation caused real emotional hurt, which I'm sure is a matter of indifference for the person who wrote it."

The Daily Express later printed a "small" apology for the article.

Rowling also discussed the "leak" of the fifth Harry Potter manuscript. It was claimed to have occurred after a man found it in a field and handed it over to The Sun, which printed a photograph of the book.

"I find that story rather difficult to believe, so there you are," said Rowling.

"We'd taken every reasonable step to try and prevent pre-publication leaks, and now the manuscript was in possession of a tabloid newspaper."

She took out an injunction to prevent The Sun from publishing further details of the book, but she feels that this was just a "classic example" of a paper trying to get a photo opportunity.

"There is a section of the press who seize opportunities like this. I felt like I was being blackmailed," she said.

"What they wanted was a photograph of me gratefully receiving back the stolen manuscript. So I was being asked to pose with the book."

Jonathan Caplan QC, counsel representing Daily Mail and Metro publisher Associated Newspapers, confirmed that the manuscript was offered to his client, but refused.

Elsewhere in her evidence, Rowling discussed an unpleasant incident when journalists from the Scottish Sun went directly to the headmaster of her daughter's school.

They claimed that her daughter had upset other pupils by claiming that Harry Potter died in the final book in the series, causing parents to complain. But Rowling said that this was completely untrue.

"There was not one word of truth in it. There had been not one complaint," she said.

"My daughter could not have revealed anything to anyone because at her own request she had asked not to be told. To approach my daughter's school was outrageous."